Okay, this one I promise will start to explain itself near the end of the second book, and will become painfully clear in the third one. Each of the types is different, and each has a role to play. I will say they are related, and the answer is a lot creepier than any of us would like to imagine. Then again, I imagined it, so who knows.
I am on a number of sites. There is a Facebook page, a Twitter Account, and a Tumblr account, and in each place I will get the occasional question about the book. This one came from Tumblr, where I tend to respond to all mail privately, as opposed to publishing things that might embarrass either the person asking, or me, for that matter. What is with the different kinds of Gomers?
Okay, this one I promise will start to explain itself near the end of the second book, and will become painfully clear in the third one. Each of the types is different, and each has a role to play. I will say they are related, and the answer is a lot creepier than any of us would like to imagine. Then again, I imagined it, so who knows.
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Then there is my personal favorite question, Why does this appear to be so American?
This one is easy. I’m American, therefore, it is from the perspective I know best. As an American, the story begins here, in America. When you start local, where the hell else would it be? In my career, I have worked with a number of nations and their military personnel. Right now, just from a “geo-logistical” standpoint, we have some of the finest equipment in the world for doing what is described in the book, as do many of our allies who have acquired much of their equipment from us. Still, everyone contributed as the picture expanded. (Russia has more artillery tubes, the Chinese forces have more ground forces and access to lead paint. In short, we all have something to bring to the table, and for the most part, we all did bring it.) While we’re on this subject, I do not give short shrift to the Navy or the Air Force either. We fight together, train together, and have endured hardships around the world, all together! This is why the Navy and the Air Force are key players throughout the book(s). Granted, in the first book, the initial focus is more local, and therefore the Army is in a lead role, but I can assure you, as the series continues, there is a difference in perspective that will be even more inclusive of all involved. You don’t fight a global war without forces from around the globe, to include all of the Armies, Navies, and Air Forces. In the first book, there is a paradigm shift, from the local (in America) and more tactical perspective, to a later global and more strategic campaign. The more global campaign by necessity includes other nations. This is a natural progression, but it must also take into account what is left, and where it is left, to allow for the unification of forces. You could literally write a book just on this type of relationship and what it takes to forge such a thing, but that was not my intent in these books. In the first book, you begin to see these relationships build on a smaller level until they lay the ground work for what is coming in the second book. In the first book, I tried to flavor it by referring to the resistence by the Argentine Government from allowing their forces to fall under the command of a General from the UK. (For those of you who remember the Falklands, this might have some meaning.) As the book unfolds, you will also find staff officers and commanders from a number of nations. This is not an American Show, but if you’ve ever read a history of World War II, you will quickly realize that if the book is written by a General from England, then it will have an English bent, just as Patton’s memoirs are from his bent. I do know that for General Patrick, a closeness develops between himself and General Fuller, who is an officer from the UK. In the second book, you find that there are others, from other countries, that will forge equally solid bonds. So, is it an American show? In part, yes it is, but no more than World War II was an American show, or an English show, or a Russian show. Another question arose in the guise of a book critic’s opinion. In this person’s desire to accuse me of jingoism, it became clear that they needed more detail about the civilian population. So where are the civilians?
While a lot of time isn’t spent solely on the subject, make no mistake, the civilian population is important. Extremely important, which is why the character, John, General Patrick’s son-in-law, allows us some insight in the initial phases of the invasion as he is forced to seek refuge along with other civilians. You will also see how the military is forced to deal with refugee issues which, from a soldier’s point of view, is by necessity part of the job. Face it, if not for the civilians, there would be no need for protection. History is always a good teacher, and this is no exception. When France was invaded by the Nazis in 1940, part of the Nazi strategy was to flood the roads with refugees and then literally clog the system so that troops could not move into, or out of, position. Since France fell quickly, and the British had to leave via Dunkirk, this strategy appears to have partially worked. In The Own the Night, the plight of the civilians is covered in some detail, along with an extensive discussion about setting up schools, trying to feed the population, etc. This book is told from the perspective of those trying to fight an enemy, not run a soup kitchen. Naturally, this is not a civilian story. We are at war with an alien, and therefore, there won’t be time for the romantic interlude in a hay loft. If you’re wanting that in your book, move along, because there is nothing to see here! Continuing with the answer of questions, someone has asked, why I did not bring up a lot of alien back story?
This was the first book, and it is an introduction to our alien attackers. As someone on the ground, I doubt seriously you will have a back story for anyone who is trying to exterminate you, especially when they first show up and aren’t exactly talking to you. The Backstory will take time to develop. In this case, there are two more books, and I can assure you, the second one will definitely open eyes on a number of these questions. While in the third book, we actually find out more detail, and precisely what that backstory really means for us as a civilization. |
AuthorMichael S. Pauley is a Navy brat and an old soldier who served in all three components of the United States Army. Living in Lexington, South Carolina, Michael is now a practicing attorney and member of the United States Naval Institute and the American Legion, Post 154, Tybee Island, Georgia. Archives
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